New Graphic Panel.

I have slightly changed the graphic panel of this blog adding a cutout image of an apple.

It is the same apple that sits within the letters of the title. Both techniques, cropping and filling letters with images are described on the blog. You can also see this apple in the favicon — the small icon in the url of this blog.

To learn how to crop an image to make a 'cutout,' see the post 'Mask vs Alpha: how to make cutouts' or read all articles labeled 'cutouts.'

To learn how to fill letters (typography symbols) with an image, read articles tagged 'transparent letters' or see this step-by-step tutorial: 'Letters as Image.'

If you would like to commission a graphic panel for your own blog or website, or have a favicon designed for your url, please contact the editor via comments or through the profile.

Read more in my new book 'iWork for Mac OSX Cookbook' (2012), follow me on Twitter at iworkinpages, like my page I Work in Pages on Facebook and add me to your circles on Google+ 

For those interested in apples, this is a late ripening variety called Winter Banana, crisp, sweet and stores well.

Mask vs Alpha (how to make a cutout image)

Strelka the Golden

This is a cutout of my dog Strelka. Cutouts like this can be used as logos, topic markers in brochures or websites, as elements of larger designs (an ad for a dog kennels, a vet practice or a pet food supplier) or as a stand-alone illustration on a page where text flows around an irregular shape/image.

I made it using Mask with Shape option (under Format menu).

Masked image showing editing points

Take the photo and drop into a Pages document, Mask with Shape. Use any shape, rectangle for example. Cover the element of the photo you want to cut out with the mask (the dog).

Then make mask editable and Smoothen Path (also under Format).

Then add editing points – press Option key and move cursor to the contour line of the mask. When instead of the white hand a small pen with a plus sign appears – click.

Add as many editing points as needed and move them as close to the object as reasonably possible to make a cutout.  Read more about this technique in this article: DSK: How to Make a Closely Cropped Cutout.

Now if this sounds like a fiddly business try Alpha tool to remove background to achieve a similar effect. It will work, however, only if the background is of consistent colour that is different from the colour of the object, a black dog sitting on a white sheet for example. Please see an example of how Alpha tool can be used to remove background and achieve a striking design effect in this earlier article: How to Remove Background.

Background partially removed with Alpha

I tried to remove the background around my dog, but was left with too many light-grey stones that have a shade similar in colour to Strelka's coat. There are simply too many bits to rub out, and when you do try to rub them out Alpha also tears out bits of the dog's coat. In the end I gave up and used the 'mask with shape' method.

See what suits you better.

Click on images to see small details.

Read more in my new book 'iWork for Mas OSX Cookbook' (2012)

Follow me on Twitter at iworkinpages  

Like my page I Work in Pages on Facebook 

and add me to your circles on Google+ 

Photos by ©A.Anichkin